About Strathbungo

Strathbungo is one of Scotland’s pre-eminent conservation areas with magnificent architecture and a classical Victorian street plan bordering Queen’s Park to the south east and the railway line to the north west. Back lanes are wedged in between the ‘squares’ which play host to beautiful blond and red sandstone fronted terraces of regional, national and international importance.

But to residents, Strathbungo is not simply a few streets containing houses of historical and architectural interest to passing architectural students and affectionardos. It is a healthy, vibrant, safe and stunningly beautiful place to live and for some, to work.

Strathbungo plays host to our families, our friends and our community. It is where we live, where we eat, where we shop and where we socialize. It is where we take our dogs for walks, where we garden and where we relax.

Strathbungo is home to students and university professors; to medics and firefighters; to entrepreneurs and to civil servants; artists and craftsmen. It is home to Scottish, English, Welsh, Irish, American, Italian, Lao, Thai and Indonesian and others. It is home to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Bahai’s.

It is a microcosm of much of what we find interesting and delightful in the world.

Strathbungo belongs collectively to the residents. The Strathbungo Society promotes a community spirit and a community cohesiveness that will distinguish Strathbungo from other areas in Glasgow and Scotland, not just in its architectural significance but also in its strong community spirit. The Bungo Blog is the official website of the Strathbungo Society.

We don’t expect you to agree with anything that we put on this blog. Indeed we would be very disappointed if you did for that would mean that the blog is so bland it doesn’t upset anyone. But we do hope that you can start to engage more with each other through the blog. The web team doesn’t see its job to populate the blog with articles to amuse and entertain you. We see our job to stimulate healthy community engagement, share information and promote Strathbungo as a vibrant, healthy, safe and interesting place to be.

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24 Comments

Looking at the map of Strathbungo and notice that it excludes Niddrie Road.
The historic centre of Strathbungo was at the intersection of Alison St. and Pollokshaws Road. and my early 20th century map has the text ‘Strathbungo’ covering pretty much my house across from Arnold Clarks. I hope to reclaim my place in the village of Strathjbungo and hope you would alter the map accordingly.

Quite right Caroline. Some years ago the council put up new street signs that said ‘Strathbungo’ on them around the historic Strathbungo village.
The Strathbungo Society kicked up about the ones around Niddrie Road and Niddrie Square – anywhere east of Pollokshaws Road basically.
As a result, we had the daft situation where the ‘Strathbungo’ bit of the signs were covered up. You can still see them today.
Strathbungo isn’t just the conservation area!
I’d say the west side of Craigie Street should be considered the Strathbungo border. What does it say on the side of St Bride’s Primary – ‘Strathbungo’!

Does anyone have any information or photographs of the police station that was once on March Street. I’ve heard a few people mention it and you can see where the cells were at the back of the building. Any information would be great.

I must stay I did wonder about the boundary and about the awful mess that the council had made of the Balvicar Street sign on my house. It is interesting, in fact a bit surprising to me, to learn the the Strathbungo society was responsible for that.

While I appreciate the ‘conservation’ area excludes my house it appears to me that it is a rather elete society that you operate. I live in a B listed building (only a fraction of Strathbungo is B listed) and just because my house is in G42 rather than G41 I am excluded from the Strathbungo society despite the fact that my house overlooks much of Strathbungo and was built in the same era and indeed in Strathbungo by the looks of things.

I used to live in Strathbungo and the architecture of my new B listed flat if far superior to that of my Strathbungo B listed one. Would it be possible to ammend the information of your site so that is clear that you map refers to the ‘Modern Strathbungo Conservation Area’ rather than the ‘Strathbungo Historic Area’ which is what I was mislead to believe was covered by your society.

For historical accuracty you might even like to consider in the future increasing the boundary of your map and indeed the society to include the parts of the historic Strathbungo that are currently excluded.

As I remember it, some of the signs that were covered said Crosshill and not Strathbungo, so it can’t have been down to the Strathbungo Society. How would they object anyway and under what piece of legislation/byelaw? Seems unlikely to me that the council would spend money covering signs when asked by a non-statutory body such as the Strathbungo Society.

Sheryl, you say only a fraction of Strathbungo is listed. Of course this depends on the definition of Stathbungo we’re all debating here.Also, anything less than 100 per cent is a fraction so even if 95 per cent were listed, only a fraction would be listed. What do you mean by a fraction? I’d estimate that over 50 per cent of the houses in the area marked as Strathbungo on this web site’s map are A or B listed. All the streets in the conservation area are A or B listed, except Marywood Square. The map does say “Conservation border” to make clear where the conservation area is.

Can any of you give a definitive border to Strathbungo? I’ve not seen one in any of your comments. It’s no use complaining without giving a solution. List the streets, please.

By way of some background to the present form of the Strathbungo Society and the boundary of its remit, it is important to remember that in 1994 the previous ‘Strathbungo Conservation Society’ was reconstituted as the current Strathbungo Society. The Conservation Society for 20 years had concerned itself with planning issues and limited its membership to the listed terraces (Moray Place, plus the ‘squares’ of Regent Park, Queen and Marywood). Although conservation remains important, the new Strathbungo Society did extend its membership to all of the terraced streets leading off Queens Park, including the red sandstone ‘Garden’ streets built in the early 20th century and the Victorian tenements that form the logical boundaries. Any consideration of extending its boundaries further would have to be properly considered at the forthcoming AGM.

The AGM is on the 19th August at 7.30pm at Queens Park Parish Church on Queens Drive. Everyone is very welcome to attend and start a discussion on this subject.

Matt, check out the map link from the Shawlands and Strathbungo Community Council website and you’ll see the entire wedge between Victoria Road and Polloshaws Road is included as Strathbungo. This includes: Niddrie Road; Craigie Street; parts of Calder Street & Alison Street; Torrisdale Street, Prince Edward Street and a bunch more. Not an insignificant number of households. Indeed, those excluded from the ‘Strathbungo’ (rather than the Strathbungo Conservation Area’) of the the Strathbungo Society probably outnumber those included

Hi myself and my family have been living in queen square for 2 years now. We love our home, the surronding areas and the community atmosphere. Unfortunaly, we have had problems with neighbours since we have moved in and recently one of our other neighbours was beaten up by them and myself and partner have been spat upon. Police and community officers are involved but without mentioning any names i was wondering if anyone else has suffered as we have by the same family. Is there someone i/we could speak to within te society that may help?? many thanks x

Letter published in the Herald on December 12th., headed ‘Wrong approach to landslips’.

Landslips have recently disrupted the West Coast railway line. You might have thought that Network Rail would have identified potential landslips, undertaken a risk assessment on each and taken steps to secure them. Instead, it spends its time and money on uprooting vegetation on embankments and erecting high weldmesh security fences along the roadside, regardless of historical or aesthetic considerations. Of course, the dangers of fallen leaves and trespassing must be eliminated if possible, but Network Rail knows only this one brutal solution. It will not countenance discussion with local residents about other ways of securing the line – and there are many. At present, the Greek Thomson terrace in Strathbungo is threatened with this treatment, but the problem is nationwide. Network Rail appears to be a law unto itself, accountable to no one. Should this be allowed to continue.

HOMEWORK BOOK FOUND!
The (red) Homework book of JULIA HUNTER P5/4 has been found in the Back Lane linking the East End of Queen Sq. to Regent Pk Square. *I live locally; If anyone knows who Julia is, please tell her that I found the jotter; It’s clean & dry, undamaged. There’s a plastic protective cover over a front cover which features a drawing on cut-out white paper of a Pokemon Dragon? I know that even if she’s already started a replacement jotter she may still want this back. 45yrs later I wish I still had one or two of my own early schoolbooks. They’re great to look back on when you’re older : )

I was born just round the corner of March Street, at no. 30 Nithsdale Street in 1948 and was aware of the police station you mentioned but believe that it ceased to be one prior to 1948 when I was born. I played football and headers in the backcourt which just over the wall was the station’s courtyard. Occasionally our ball would accidentally stray into the yard but being a wee nipper it was relatively easy to climb in and out to retrieve our ball! I can only assume that the prisoners would be handcuffed to a warden each time they were allowed out for a walkabout. Two families I remember who lived in the station block were the Menzies and the Popes. If you look up on Urban Glasgow’s website, it shows photographs of the cells below! @Emma

My mother went to Strathbungo school in the 1920’s, she said that there was a piano on the landings and the children marched upstairs to the piano music. She had a teacher called Miss Sertes (Certies?) who taught French I think. I wondered if anyone else’s parents may have shared memories of those days? I don’t remember all the names she mentioned but there was a Jean Fife in her class.
My mothers’ family came to Australia in 1928 when my Mum was 15.

My uncle attended Strathbungo in the 30’s and as you mentioned the piano being played as the pupils marched to their classrooms, I attended Shawlands Academy in the 50’s and it was one of the pupils that played the piano as we marched to our classrooms , I always remember the Toreador song from Carmen was the one I liked best, but I used to think it was a way of checking to see if our shoes were polished.

I have only just found this site. I went to Strathbungo School in the 1960’s. My mother was born in 1922 and went to Strathbungo as well. We shared the same teachers Miss Drysdale, Miss Dewar and Miss Dunnet oh and a Miss Stevenson.

She is 97 and fortunately has a great memory. I will ask her if she remembers the French Teacher.

My mother has mentioned having to march into school to the sound of the piano

Just to set the record straight re 2007/8 Strathbungo comments by Caroline Scott, Paul, Sheryl and Matt. Matt was correct, the signs said Crosshill. Why? Well, in 2006 Glasgow City Council had a Crosshill Conservation Area Appraisal done. Look up Crosshill-Glasgow City Council where you will find the PDF file. The area outline map, where the main road tenements etc. are included was what caused the confusion. At that time, our local councillor, who may have lived in Queen Sq. and went everywhere by bicycle, was councillor for Roads and Transport. Considering this, I thought it was rather funny, so I phoned up The Glaswegian and told them, hoping, naively, that they would print it and we would all have a laugh. The council were out double quick to cover up the mistakes. As for the Boundary Line, c Local gov. boundary commission for Scotland. GCC area electoral arrangements, Ward 68 -Strathbungo. Defunct.